Bristol Science Centre

While investigating the benefits of our family's membership to the new science museum in Los Angeles, I found that we can get free admission to partnering science museums all over the world.

Of course, I checked to see if any were in the UK, and lo and behold, a fabulous children's science museum in Bristol was on the list!

On Monday, with Gord back at work after his Christmas break, Stace drove us and Sue to Bristol so we could check out the @Bristol Science Centre, for free.

It was well worth the drive, as we all enjoyed the many exhibits. Here, the girls are in front of an aircraft's landing gear - so interesting for them, since we fly in these size planes but never see how big their wheels are up close. Stace pointed out that part of the gear was made by his company. Small world!

 In this area, the girls are picking up "pollen" and "nectar" balls in their honeybee suits, and taking them back to the hive as they learn about how honey is made. The balls would then fly back out of the flowers through air-powered hoses.

Violet wouldn't wear the bee suit, but loved this activity the best of all. I had to pull her away to see the second floor of the museum.

 Upstairs, the people behind Wallace and Gromit have sponsored an animation exhibit.

 Violet drew on the little boxes on her strip of paper, so she could see it come to life when we looked through the slit cut out of a spinning cylindrical machine.

 A play area with giant lego-like bricks kept Cora happy for a half hour.

 The girls also took part in making giant bubbles, and learning about the human body, motion, ice-making, and more.

 It was a very fun day out! Now, I just hope the museum in L.A. can live up to Bristol in the eyes of our girls.

Family Day

We spent Sunday with the whole family, including Stace's cousins and aunt and uncle.

We met at the George pub in Donyatt, a village about 20 minutes from Martock.

Here, Cora is hanging out with Ben, and showing off the sequin art picture she and Nanny made. It was a Christmas gift from Ben's nan, Stace's Auntie Doreen. Cora had a lot of fun putting it together, pushing in the pins into the sequin centers.

 After our roast dinner, we brought the children together for a photo - here are Euan, Olivia, Cora, Ben, baby Bethany, Chloe and Violet.

Later, we went to Doreen and Pete's home, where the children enjoyed playing together for a couple of hours. Ben's mum, Karen, and I always find a lot to talk about.

 Euan and Violet play well together, being of the same age and silliness level.

Cora and Ben had fun helping Chloe color in the Hello Kitty handbag we'd brought for her. All the while, the two older ones enthusiastically asked Chloe's opinion and buy-in on their color choices, since they knew it was her purse.

A Birthday Ramble

On Saturday, I woke up to a nice birthday breakfast, gifts and cards.

Midday, we got dressed in layers and our wellies, braved the drizzly weather and headed up to Ham Hill.

 

Stace had bought lunch at the Martock bakery, so we had a picnic of pasties, with a boulder for a bench.

 In a nearby field, we checked out a replica of an Iron Age round house. Ham Hill was home to a community of people in 750 B.C.

Trudging through mud is fun when you have your wellies on. Stace, Cora and I all bought wellies while we've been over.

 Stace is pointing out the Iron Age earthworks, a simple fortification still visible today.

Violet loved seeing the sheep grazing near us.

We walked way around to the girls' favorite part of the park, where we played a family of hide and seek through the huge stones.

Later in the evening, Sue and Gord had all the children, and Stace and I went to the Lime Kiln for dinner with Dean and Jenny.

It was a very relaxed, enjoyable night for us all.

Fun with Friends

On Friday, Cora and Violet woke up at Dean and Jenny's house, after staying overnight after we spent the day together on New Year's Day.

Before picking the girls up, Stace and I did a bit of shopping; we both bought boots - wellies and a pair of black leather Clarks for me, for my birthday.

After getting the girls, we met up with Dunc, Lindsey and their girls for a bite to eat.

The big girls chatted on and on, much of it about Minecraft, while the little girls listened in.

When we were ready for playtime, we went to Mudford Rec, which has a couple of great playgrounds.

It was chilly, but not too cold to run around. Since it was during the schools' Christmas break, there were lots of kids out playing.

After a fun afternoon of playing, the girls enjoyed their Christmas gifts from Chelsea and Charlie, including these big chocolate shoes!

New Year's Eve, New Year's Day

On Wednesday, Stace and I left the girls with Nanny, and took a trip to Chard to visit our friends Andy and Jenny. Though they would have enjoyed seeing the girls, Cora and Violet were still in their jammies when we left, and it was nice to have a bit of a "date day" together.

Andy and Jenny treated us to a nice lunch. Because we joked that we often forget to take photos together for the blog, we set up some silly ones. 

Stace and I stopped at Chard's cemetery on our way back to Martock, to put some flowers on the grave of his Nan and Pop. 

Wednesday was New Year's Eve, and this year we stayed in together. We bought some fun nibbles and competed against each other with bowling on the Wii.

When the clock struck midnight, we toasted each other and watched on the television as fireworks lit up the London skyline.

On New Year's Day, after sleeping in sufficiently, we went to Dean and Jenny's house for a lovely roast dinner. We have eaten like royalty the past week!

That evening, poor Stace ended up at the bottom of a big pile-up. Ooof!

Happy New Year, to all our friends and family!

A Winter's Walk

The weather has been pretty good for this time of year. It's been a bit cold but if you wrap up in warm clothes, it's nice to get out for a walk in the fresh countryside air.

On Monday we did just that. While the girls were with Nan and Pop at Rug Rats, an indoor play area in Yeovil, Lisa and I took to the footpaths around the outskirts of Martock.

We met a friendly horse and were surprised to see llamas in a field.

We walked passed Madey Mill, an old water mill no longer in use.

In the back of one of the sheds was an old Mini in need of some TLC. A true barn find.

Family Time

Spending time with family is one of life's simple pleasures, made all the  more precious by distance.

Stace, the girls and I love seeing Sue and Gord, Dean, Jen and the children as much as we can when we come over.

Euan just turned five, and is enjoying school, tractors, and his cool new hat.

 He and Cora are getting along so much better this time around! They have been having a really nice time together.












A family freeze dance party is a good way to expel the wiggles - or ramp them up!

 On Saturday, we walked through the village to the big rec. This might be the best photo ever taken of these two!

And, this is definitely the best photo yet of the four cousins together.

Violet and Cora both love entertaining their youngest cousin.